FMG Young Farmer of the Year: Invercargill to host 2025 grand final

George Dodson, 2024 FMG Young Farmer of the Year.

The FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest is heading south, with Invercargill securing hosting rights for next year’s grand final.

About to enter its 57th year, the contest series starts with district contest competitions in October 2024, with up to 200 young farmers battling it out for a shot at rural stardom.

The grand final will take place from July 3 to July 5 next year.

Grand final 2025 convenor and Otago/Southland Young Farmers representative Emma Wilson said she was proud to be part of showcasing Southland’s unique farming flavour to the rest of the country.

“We’ve got a lot of different industries in one small pocket – from vineyards to sheep, beef and dairy - there’s even tulip farming,” she said.

“Our secret is that we have so many different climate and soil pockets, so we’re lucky in that regard.”

Wilson expected this year to be one of the most competitive seasons yet.

“There’ll be a few Otago Southland young farmers gunning hard to try and get that home grand final because farming is a big part of our identity down here.”

She was excited to see what competitors had in store.

“We have deep-rooted knowledge passed down through generations, but we’re also innovators with a practical ‘number eight wire’ mentality.”

Young Farmers chief executive Lynda Coppersmith said the final represented the culmination of many months of hard work for New Zealand’s rising agriculture stars.

“After proving themselves at a district level, contestants will then need to go head-to-head against the best in their region,” Coppersmith said.

“Only those who top their field will qualify for a spot on the national stage.”

Coppersmith said just making it to the grand final was an enormous feat, “with only seven national finalists selected from across the country”.

Fourteen FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year teams will also compete for a national title, along with 21 AgriKidsNZ teams from across Aotearoa.

“It takes a lot of preparation, made harder by the fact that the challenges are kept top secret until the day of the event, so our young farmers really have to work hard to sharpen their skills and improve their farming knowledge as broadly as possible,” Coppersmith said.

“It’s a quest for the ultimate farming all-rounder.”

Season 57 entries for FMG Young Farmer of the Year open on Monday, September 2, 2024, and entries for FMG Junior and AgriKids will open on Monday, October 21, 2024, on the New Zealand Young Farmers’ website.